Hasta La Ideas

A small but mighty companion for two-wheeled maintenance

While biking vets are likely to know a gear set like the back of their hand, others are probably flummoxed when it comes to simple maintenance issues like a punctured tire or a stretched brake cable. “The Bike-Owner’s Handbook” is a cleverly designed, travel-sized folio that guides bikers through the most common operations they will encounter on the road. Simple illustrations and anatomical breakdowns serve to familiarize the uninitiated in processes like tire replacement, chain tension adjustment and bar tape wrapping.

Peter Drinkell wrote the book with empathy for the neophyte. While he is a fairly accomplished tinkerer, he notes the “finickiness” of bicycles as something that often perplexes riders. The goal of the pocket companion is not so much to make you a two-wheeled savant as it is to improve the riding experience: “Once you get in tune with your bike, it will change the way you cycle. You’ll be able to treat it with kindness—checking tire pressure, brakes and chain regularly, keeping it running smoothly, and rewarding you with a much more enjoyable ride. You might also find yourself noting your environment a little more closely—keeping an eye out for glass or grit on the roads, carefully avoiding potholes and rocky surfaces.”

Drinkell’s recommendations expose the essential tools of a bike owner, ensuring that readers will have a patch and sandpaper on hand the next time they run a flat. The book also saves valuable time, replacing trips to the repair shop with do-it-yourself chain lubrication and brake pad replacement. Drinkell’s simple advice and the book’s straightforward layout make this a real boon as dusty wheels come out of winter storage.

The Bike-Owner’s Handbook is available from Cicada and on Amazon. See more images of the book in our slideshow.

Custom curated booklets aim to personalize online gift-giving

Options for online gift-giving are by no means scarce. Going beyond the basics of easy browsing and affordable shipping, CEO John Poisson founded Wantful with the intention of making the process even more intuitive, creating a rare blend of curated storefront, gift card and material goods. At the most basic level, the service provides users a way to send a thoughtful selection of gifts to choose from in a lovely, customized catalog.

The process starts by visiting the Wantful website and sharing general background information about the intended recipient. Basic questions like gender and relationship are followed with more in-depth inquiries such as sense of style, preferred living quarters, cooking habits and whether they sing along to their music. From there, Wantful does the work: “We put together a list of recommendations and other ways to look through our products,” says Poisson. “You choose 16 things that you think are perfectly suited to that person and put them together in this printed booklet.” The sender puts down a certain amount of money when they check out to pay for the gift that ultimately gets chosen.

Wantful’s selection is expansive but smartly edited, with thousands of solid options that are updated constantly. “It’s the equivalent of an entire department store, except that our products are the kinds of products you don’t find in a department store,” explains Poisson. “Our real focus is our team of buyers that find things you don’t find anywhere else.”

While the recipient gets to choose the gift they want, much of the treat lies in getting a dedicated book filled with specially picked goods. As Poisson explains, “This isn’t a transaction. There’s meant to be something emotional attached—even if it’s a casual gift.” The self-proclaimed professional buyer shared some of his favorite makers as well, listing the husband and wife perfumer D.S. & Durga alongside White Sycamore and Cavalier Essentials.

The service syncs with Facebook to remind users of upcoming birthdays, and a calendar of upcoming events can also be made. Wantful then sends reminders as the dates approach. Poisson recommends having a mix of safe and quirky gifts, throwing in unexpected items like a $500 box of chocolate as a teaser item. When the recipient gets their booklet, they simply select their gift and await its arrival—easy as pie—or a jar of artisanal kimchi.

Ace your Valentine’s Day gift-giving with a helpful info-graphic

Advertorial content:

With Valentine’s Day a week away, people everywhere are nervously approaching flower shops. Most don’t know what they want and they may be worried about getting the wrong thing. With this in mind, H.BLOOM brings you a handy info-graphic to help you pick the right bouquet for your beloved. As a special offer for Valentine’s Day, the subscription-based flower delivery service is offering the option to buy individual arrangements outside of their regular plans. However, if you’re feeling extra romantic, go ahead and spring for the full service, which allows you to have flowers delivered on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis.

Subscriptions are currently offered in Washington D.C., New York City, San Francisco and Chicago, and can be purchased on the H.BLOOM website. One-time deliveries can be made anywhere in the continental U.S. by calling 1-877-425-6665.

Gift Guide selections to snap up at a store near you as time runs out

While off-the-radar boutique goods tend to make for more unique gifts, they may be hard to come by at the last minute. For the shopper still seeking something special, we’ve culled a range of eight items from our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide that can be found in stores throughout the world.

Raleigh Clubman

This heritage-inspired 10-speed road bike has been upgraded with Brooks bar tape and saddle and constructed with Reynolds 520 Classic Steel Tubing to absorb rough city commutes and long distance touring. With integrated steel fenders this beauty is set up for riding in all seasons. Find it at a one of Raleigh’s international retailers.

Nudo Italian Spaghetti and Olive Oil Set

Combining Nudo’s spectacular organic spaghetti and extra virgin olive oil, this set includes a handsome tin for storing spaghetti down the line. Most notably, Nudo is one of the few makers that use only first cold press EVOO. Available from Nudo stockists.

Ekobo Knife Block Collection

These French knife blocks are ethically crafted by artisans in Vietnam though a fair trade agreement using only renewable materials. The bamboo skewers allow for flexible storage and can be removed for cleaning. Available in a number of colored finishes and sizes from Ekobo retailers.

Dieter Rams for Braun Watch

Discontinued but not forgotten, Braun recently re-issued a line of watches and clocks designed by famed German industrialist Dieter Rams. The spare, functional collection was approved by Rams’ partner Dietrich Lubs and harkens back to design heyday of the 1970s. Find yours at a Braun time retailer.

Dazed & Confused: Making It Up As We Go Along (Hardcover)

This 336-page volume covers 20 years of the London magazine that’s been a driver of style, design and popular culture. Co-founders chief editor Jefferson Hack and fashion photographer Rankin revisit the magazine’s often controversial romp through the magazine’s coverage—and influence—over artists and the arts scene in the UK and beyond. Search Rizzoli’s listings for a local bookseller.

Sonos Play:3

A perfect all-in-one system for wireless music streaming, the Sonos Play:3 delivers incredible sound quality in a compact package. The system features three class-D digital amplifiers and three drivers, as well as complete wireless control through the Sonos app. Find yours through the Sonos store locator.

Sony PlayStation 3 Wireless Stereo Headset

The logical choice for audiophile gamers, this wireless headset for PS3 is equipped with 7.1 virtual surround-sound to enable you to hear your opponents before you see them. The perfect accessory for smoking noobs in this season’s hottest FPS, it can be purchased from one of many Sony stockists.

DeLonghi kMix Coffee Maker

Perfect for a no-fuss morning brew, the minimalist kMix drip coffee maker from DeLonghi comes in a variety of punchy colors. Made from die-cast aluminum, the appliance features an intuitive interface and adjustable temperature control for the right amount of heat. Find it at a DeLonghi distributor.

Ten ideas from the members-only product-sharing site

A newcomer to the crowd-sourced shopping scene, Nuji has set itself apart from sites like Pinterest and Svpply with a tightly-edited array of goods selected by its invite-only members since its launch a year ago. Created by European trio of creatives Dean Fankhauser, Anton Meryl Nithianandan and Vincent Thome, the site features a global assortment of finely crafted leather goods, stylish design-focused items and an array of quirky objects in between. To celebrate the site’s talent for proffering distinctly covetable wares, below are 10 items found in our Cool Hunting Gift Guide that we sourced from Nuji.

Berlin-based architect Sigurd Larsen designed The Shrine (€4,000) as “a product of the labyrinthine courtyards of Kreuzberg.” He moves beyond the traditional record player cabinet to include a maze of drawers where you can keep records, headphones, an LP player, whiskey and more.

The ultimate spy scope, the Clap Mini USB Camera ($55) allows you to capture snapshots on the go and easily upload them to any laptop. The tiny device runs on a rechargeable Lithium ion battery and shoots 1280×1024 resolution images.

Kurt Geiger’s Isla Mittens (£35) are a delicate balance of form and function. The soft leather mittens unzip to reveal knitted fingerless gloves, sure to keep you warm even when fashion is the focus.

Known for their supremely crafted leather goods, Portland-based Tanner ($82) turns the classic camera strap into a handsome accessory that will only look better with time. The strap comes in natural leather (pictured) alongside a slew of other hues like oxblood, black and olive.

Originally from the 1980s, this salvaged six-digit inventory stamp ($22) has been reconstructed for modern use with any medium that needs a little extra ink or old-school numerical detailing.

A “representative of the era of the music cassette,” the RE-BO ($1,200) is Bootleg Objects’ interpretation of Jacob Jensen’s Beocenter 1400, which he designed for Bang&Olufsen in 1973. This cleverly updated version now houses a smart card reader in place of the cassette slot, a DVD drive and a 16:9 TFT display.

Handcrafted in Italy from Florentine Vacchetta leather, Travelteq’s sophisticated roll-up case (€65) holds 19 choice pencils and keeps them from rolling off the desk when not on the go.

Ikou Tschüss’ signature crochet-trimmed scarf designs (£309) were borne from the Swiss label’s desire to weigh down the accessory while riding a bike. Each is lovingly knitted by hand by “a network of grandmothers and passionate home-based workers.”

Waterproof Aqua Notes ($13) are the perfect gift for those whose best ideas happen in the shower, or your favorite sailor.

A beautiful combination jewelry box and ring holder designed by Swedish architect firm Claesson Koivisto Rune, the brass “Belle” ($120) spins around like a toy top for added effect.